Ask Cryptic (January 29,2009)

[nhamlett]

This Ask Cryptic answers a variety of questions from our avid Star Trek Online fans. Will there be joystick control? Will there be non bi-pedal races? You're going to have to read more to find out! And as always, thank you to our development team for taking the time to answer these questions.

Read it all here! (http://www.startrekonline.com/ask_cryptic_1-29-09)

[SenshiBat]

Thank you Posting MAven..
The Edification of Queries was satisfied.
Are you working for Cryptic on the side and really be Amy Mainzer from JPL?

Alita Chirps in-- Little known fact. .the borg were created by a Vulcan scientist that was a...

Cubical slave...

No that's Slave to a Cubical...Fixed Translator at Quarks..
T-shirt reads..
[my other spaceship is a Bentley Flying Spur.. I just cant afford it yet....]


Man shakes head grabs woman's arm and walks out humming "Life During Wartime"

many a day goes by water falling down....

[Spacemanspiff]

Cool! new info is always good :D

[Varrangian]

Cool stuff thanks.

[matt4tay]

Thanks for the answers Awen.

[Hagon]

Yes, that did have some interesting info. It's good to see that they've finally given a definitive answer on the issue of Federation having a form of currency.

I'm also excited that they're looking into a black market for inter faction trade. I've talked from the start about believing there should be a third NPC "neutral faction" to facilitate such trade. To me it shows there's some real thought being put into the economic/trade aspect of the game.

It's also good to see just a tad more info on what will be going on in the Neutral Zone. It looks like it's going to be a very interesting area to play in. :cool:

[AdmiralWynn]

Problem is that these answers lead to numerous other questions.

Nevertheless I thank you and all concerned for another burst of info... the no money/credits thing is going to be interesting.

[Jetaime]

im glad that were going to be able to temporarily take over other factions ships

[Jenshae]

... We all know that packing a suitcase usually takes longer than five minutes, but a good director is not going to make us sit there watching a character just pack a suitcase for an hour. Likewise, we’re not going to make you go through empty and uninteresting space. ...

Which should be mitigate by fast travelling, so it could be and probably I feel should be to scale.

[cv_coco]

Yet again thanks for putting them up and for the devs taking the time to answer us!

[Loekii]

Now that was a good 'Ask Cryptic'. Relatively new information, more or less, rather than repeat of existing material.

I am hoping that the Economy issue will be played out in a mature manor -- sort of as described -- rather than just making a WoW-bay economy with a Star Trek skin. I like the idea of 'credits' and intermixing with the Non-aligned worlds, but I don't want to see players buying and selling Star Fleet Ships, material, etc. Credits should be used for Factional Purchases (from NPCs), and GPL should be used for buying non-faction stuff (ie that Romulan Ale, or Tholian power enhancement crystals and 'black market' stuff).

Interesting to hear about 'TailS, and Legs'. Might mean we will have a larger variety than I previously thought. Hoping for some Kzinti/Lyran options (or even other non-human alien creations).

Good analogy with the 'Packing a Suitcase in a Movie'.

[Loekii]

im glad that were going to be able to temporarily take over other factions ships

I think it will be limited to 'Episodes' (ie think WoW-Instanced Dungeons) -- which I still think will be an enjoyable experience.

Is it possible to purchase, capture, or steal ships of the opposite faction? For example, can a Federation officer acquire a Klingon Bird of Prey, or maybe even a Romulan Warbird or must you be a member of those factions to access those ships?

There will probably be episodes where you get to commandeer starships from other factions. But you don’t get to keep them. You can’t, as a Starfleet officer, get a Klingon Warbird and pimp it and then go jaunting around the galaxy doing your Federation work. You have to use the ships that belong to your faction.

[osena]

Is it possible to purchase, capture, or steal ships of the opposite faction? For example, can a Federation officer acquire a Klingon Bird of Prey, or maybe even a Romulan Warbird or must you be a member of those factions to access those ships?

i was hopeing we could capture ships and strip them down for useabel parts and raw matreals to make star ships it would make sense that we could if we bored the ship kill the crew and send it back for us engineers to take it a part pice by pice so we could revese engineer it and make star ships out of the parts and hulls by melting them down and reforgeing them in to fedaration star ships cos were in war time and geting our hard on matreals for ships might be hard to do so i think it would be logical to strip down captured ship and strip them down like chop shop

[Loekii]

Is it possible to purchase, capture, or steal ships of the opposite faction? For example, can a Federation officer acquire a Klingon Bird of Prey, or maybe even a Romulan Warbird or must you be a member of those factions to access those ships?

i was hopeing we could capture ships and strip them down for useabel parts and raw matreals to make stat ships

The way I read it, it will be specific 'Episodes' for the most part -- ie only certain missions where you 'capture' a specific Enemy NPC Ship for a specific purpose (ie 'go and capture the KDS Hagon, and bring her back to Starbase 19 for the Fleet to study).

I would guess that when you destory enemy ships, you might be able to salvage various parts for raw material, but I don't expect to see the ability to loot a Breen Beam weapon, and then equip it on your Nebula class ship.

[miqrogroove]

I am really curious to see what the planetary systems will look like in the beta. I can understand trying to limit travel times between systems, but IMO there are a few things that must be done to make it feel like Star Trek:

Space must be black. If everywhere I go it looks like I'm in a cloud of poisonous gas or someone sneezed Crayola ink all over the place, then it's not Trek.

Planets must be planet size. I know very high orbits were always used on TV, but that distance has to be factored in. If I'm 30 ship lengths away from the planet and the planet looks to be 50 ship lengths wide, then I'm going to be very unhappy with this game.

Astronomical units must be real. In Best of Both Worlds Part II there was a significant delay after the Borg passed Saturn and before they reached Earth. So the planets in a system do need to seem very far apart. They should look just like stars from a distance.

Stars must be star size. I expect my ship to look like a spec of dust next to a star.

[Hagon]

I like the idea of 'credits' and intermixing with the Non-aligned words, but I don't want to see players buying and selling Star Fleet Ships, material, etc. I don't want to start a debate here about the issue, but that's actually exactly what I hope to see. It can easily be made to fit too. They just need to introduce into the story something like the financial / resource burden in maintaining Starfleet after so many wars on so many fronts took it's toll, and the Federation began to allow for privateer ships and captains that were still under the umbrella of Starfleet through Letters of Marque.

[osena]

The way I read it, it will be specific 'Episodes' for the most part -- ie only certain missions where you 'capture' a specific Enemy NPC Ship for a specific purpose (ie 'go and capture the KDS Hagon, and bring her back to Starbase 19 for the Fleet to study).

I would guess that when you destory enemy ships, you might be able to salvage various parts for raw material, but I don't expect to see the ability to loot a Breen Beam weapon, and then equip it on your Nebula class ship.

but id rater just bord the ship kill the crew and take the whole ship back so much more to work with this is war were in so its only logical any thing well and can be used melted down and remade for our own use's the usa did it in ww2 any thing that was not bolted down were used to be made in builts ships planes so the same rules must still apply right?

[Silverspar]

Nice, looks like part of my question got in there. I am still curious if we will get website support for that so we can add links to our own fleet pages that monitor sector status.

That being said, I know I ahve a few fleet members who will be happy to know they can add a tail to their character to :)

[gannon12x]

i read it but i feel that there always things missing i was wondering on shielding on ship do a tier 1 be able to do damage to a tier 2 ship will lower class be able do any damage to higher lv ship like a galaxy class and bird of prey if you talk about tier ships ?

[LordDave]

i read it but i feel that there always things missing i was wondering on shielding on ship do a tier 1 be able to do damage to a tier 2 ship will lower class be able do any damage to higher lv ship like a galaxy class and bird of prey if you talk about tier ships ?

They did answer this one. It's a bit hidden but it's there. They said that with proper coordination, lower tier ships with superior tactics can overpower a higher tiered ship, though they might need groups.
So the answer is yes. That means everything is power based. For example:

Ship A is a galaxy class. It's shields can absorb 10,000 points of damage.
Ship B is a bird of prey. It can put out 200 points of damage each shot.

Obviously ship B isn't going to be doing much damage, but they will do damage.
Where you have possibilities of invincibility of Ship A to ship B is if the engineering of ship A can repair damage faster then it can be given by ship B.

[osena]

i read it but i feel that there always things missing i was wondering on shielding on ship do a tier 1 be able to do damage to a tier 2 ship will lower class be able do any damage to higher lv ship like a galaxy class and bird of prey if you talk about tier ships ?

but i would think a quantom tropedo would deal the same amount of damage comeing form a shuttel or sovereing class ship

[47Wasps]

I had a few questions that were answered in the lastest Ask Cryptic,so again,thank you very much for putting my worries at ease.

I'm looking forward to more info on how the NZ-System is going to work out,and with different sectors of space changing factions

[SenshiBat]

Star Fleet Battles by the way of a Star Chart had well definded Fast Transit lanes of well patroled of safe

Transit however at greater speed possed greater risk should a error happen or an ambush accour..

unplanned lane incursions of sabotauge or debris... Mirco Metiorites hard to track or predict.. could make for a bad day in engineerign and sickbay indeed.

A Gate system has been mentioned.. but Warp Drive by Definition has been discussed are warpping or
shrinking the space between two points.. to improved transit times. .you would need a galactic switching monitor system ala terrestrial railroads.. to warn of derailings.. things of a cosmic ilk und sich..

A magnitar star pulsar.. can be seen and surveyed.. others jsut happen so good luck with that milk run to Sirrius...

[IT_IS_GREEN]

Good information all around. I look forward to the economy and black markets...what do they call a starfleet officer who's in to shady stuff?
One question, though: we can't keep ships we steal from the enemy, that I understand. But can we steal and keep technology? Remember, the beauty of the Defiant was that it had a cloaking device that was a gift from the romulans. could someone elaborate on whether we can take items and use them continually? Awen, maybe?

[Trekkie]

I really like the direction that new editions of Ask Cryptic are taking, mostly because we seem to be getting more concrete information now that the game is closer to launch. I get more excited for the game with each subsequent update and I cannot wait to find out more!

[Griffin]

Will there be a galaxy wide map which is directly linked to the territories? e.g- If a federation fleet takes over a few star systems, will it show up on the map so everyone is constantly updated with their fleet's boundaries etc?

Yes and no. The star systems that are going to be changing hands are in the Klingon / Federation neutral zone where PvP and indirect PvP will be taking place. The systems within the Neutral Zone will change loyalty between the two factions, and their status will show up on the sector level map. The actual high level map itself is not going to change territory lines.


The answer to this has me baffled. We know PvP will be open to people in the Neutral zone and also to those exploring the outlying systems, systems not under the control of either faction. This brings into question a few facts/speculations in previous posts...

Will the outlying territories be off limits to faction influence? If not, can a mixture of reputation grinding, terrorising or trading allow a faction to occupy such a territory? If so, can Fleets build bases, shipyards, relay stations etc, in these non Neutral zone systems? and finally, the answer states that these systems CANNOT be exchanged... so if my Fleet builds a base in system ABC, 5000 lightyears away from he Neutral zone but inside of the open PvP area, will our base be safe from Klingon attacks?, or will the system we earned/occupy be open to interfaction conflict, resulting in an exchange of said systems between factions? much like the system used inside of the Neutral Zone?

[Hagon]

Will the outlying territories be off limits to faction influence? If not, can a mixture of reputation grinding, terrorising or trading allow a faction to occupy such a territory? If so, can Fleets build bases, shipyards, relay stations etc, in these non Neutral zone systems? and finally, the answer states that these systems CANNOT be exchanged... so if my Fleet builds a base in system ABC, 5000 lightyears away from he Neutral zone but inside of the open PvP area, will our base be safe from Klingon attacks?, or will the system we earned/occupy be open to interfaction conflict, resulting in an exchange of said systems between factions? much like the system used inside of the Neutral Zone?That's an excellent question for the next "Ask Cryptic". ;)

Like someone mentioned, each one of these is great for more info, but they always bring up even more questions than they've answered.

I think that's great hehe. What fun waiting this is. :D

[whatinblueblazes]

I wonder how large the neutral zone will be relative to the stable territories of each faction. I also wonder how the spatial cartography will change (if at all) with the later introduction of Romulans and other factions -- will each pair of bordering factions have a distinct neutral zone, or will these areas essentially become free-for-alls?

[Manx]

Good information all around. I look forward to the economy and black markets...what do they call a starfleet officer who's in to shady stuff?


James T. Kirk :p

[Kinneas]

I am really curious to see what the planetary systems will look like in the beta. I can understand trying to limit travel times between systems, but IMO there are a few things that must be done to make it feel like Star Trek:

Space must be black. If everywhere I go it looks like I'm in a cloud of poisonous gas or someone sneezed Crayola ink all over the place, then it's not Trek.

Planets must be planet size. I know very high orbits were always used on TV, but that distance has to be factored in. If I'm 30 ship lengths away from the planet and the planet looks to be 50 ship lengths wide, then I'm going to be very unhappy with this game.

Astronomical units must be real. In Best of Both Worlds Part II there was a significant delay after the Borg passed Saturn and before they reached Earth. So the planets in a system do need to seem very far apart. They should look just like stars from a distance.

Stars must be star size. I expect my ship to look like a spec of dust next to a star.


Knowing there were astrophysics folks on the team made me soar...but then come crashing down as it was de-emphasized for fun and cool, when it did not need to be de-emphasized at all. When one could have reinforced that over time, STO could get more and more realistic as technology improves.

It seemed another opportunity to kick the folks who are willing to hang on for the long haul with hopes of more and more simulation in STO. When it is the simmers who may most likely spend the most time in STO in the long run. "LEAVE NO FAN BEHIND!"

We're not going to be happy until it is as real as can be someday and one hopes they fully understand where many want to go with STO.

We wanted a Star Trek title to have a subscription fee so it could have the budget to evolve as we wanted and so that hopefully they could get rich. Not one or the other.

I would never kick down the potential science or educational experience one could also get while exploring while up-talking fun and cool.

[The_Padre]

Knowing there were astrophysics folks on the team made me soar...but then come crashing down as it was de-emphasized for fun and cool, when it did not need to be de-emphasized at all. When one could have reinforced that over time, STO could get more and more realistic as technology improves.

It seemed another opportunity to kick the folks who are willing to hang on for the long haul with hopes of more and more simulation in STO. When it is the simmers who may most likely spend the most time in STO in the long run.

We're not going to be happy until it is as real as can be someday and one hopes they fully understand where many want to go with STO.

We wanted a Star Trek title to have a subscription fee so it could have the budget to evolve as we wanted and so that hopefully they could get rich. Not one or the other.

I would never kick down the potential science or educational experience one could also get while exploring while up-talking fun and cool.

I prefer that they're being honest, I'd rather they say what to expect rather than string people along.

[Kinneas]

Oh, der.

btw

DUGG!

DIGG this article to get it out of the 'kinda dead' pile and get it movin' across the global news network: http://digg.com/pc_games/Star_Trek_Online_update_Ask_Cryptic_January_29_200 9

[eNDIE]

This was one of the best ask cryptic sofar , you are doing a great job awen:)

[Hagon]

Knowing there were astrophysics folks on the team made me soar...but then come crashing down as it was de-emphasized for fun and cool, when it did not need to be de-emphasized at all. When one could have reinforced that over time, STO could get more and more realistic as technology improves.

It seemed another opportunity to kick the folks who are willing to hang on for the long haul with hopes of more and more simulation in STO. When it is the simmers who may most likely spend the most time in STO in the long run. "LEAVE NO FAN BEHIND!"

We're not going to be happy until it is as real as can be someday and one hopes they fully understand where many want to go with STO.

We wanted a Star Trek title to have a subscription fee so it could have the budget to evolve as we wanted and so that hopefully they could get rich. Not one or the other.

I'm going to really try to put this as tactful as possible. I don't want to offend you, or get you angry. I respect you, and some others of the community you represent. If I seem to be rude, please forgive that. It's not intentional.

I simply need to ask you where you feel you have the right to use "we" in that way?

I mean using "we" in a way that leaves the impression that you believe the opinion you hold, and apparently that you believe the community you represent holds, is one that reflects the opinions of all fans and followers of this Star Trek game in development?

As well, I believe that the thought that "simmers" will spend the most time in STO in the long run is highly debatable, but that the market share they will represent will be comparatively pretty inconsequential isn't very debatable.

I also don't think it's debatable how many people making the game catered to them too much would drive away, with that number driven away being vastly larger than their demographic.

It would seem to me that everyone needs to compromise. For instance there's posts after post in the PvP thread stating how there should be open PvP everywhere in the game. There's posts in different threads stating there should be no PvP at all. There's people posting that they want Romulans as a playable race at launch. Other's wanting other races playable at launch. I don't think it's wrong saying that most everyone that comes to play the game will have to compromise on something, but most will still be able to enjoy it a great great deal I'm betting.

Yet with multiple issues that come up, there seems to be no compromise with the simmers. Or if there is, only after much teeth gnashing and long drawn out threads, and still some stomping off in a huff.

There seems to me to be a very unreasonably high sense of entitlement going on there, but maybe I'm wrong.

[Kinneas]

GI look forward to the economy and black markets...


Woohoo!

One for the Syndicates.

Such a great idea.

Seeing the economy function is going to be amazing.
-----------------------

I'm going to really try to put this as tactful as possible. I don't want to offend you, or get you angry. I respect you, and some others of the community you represent. If I seem to be rude, please forgive that. It's not intentional.

I simply need to ask you where you feel you have the right to use "we" in that way?

I mean using "we" in a way that leaves the impression that you believe the opinion you hold, and apparently that you believe the community you represent holds, is one that reflects the opinions of all fans and followers of this Star Trek game in development?

As well, I believe that the thought that "simmers" will spend the most time in STO in the long run is highly debatable, but that the market share they will represent will be comparatively pretty inconsequential isn't very debatable.

I also don't think it's debatable how many people making the game catered to them too much would drive away, with that number driven away being vastly larger than their demographic.

It would seem to me that everyone needs to compromise. For instance there's posts after post in the PvP thread stating how there should be open PvP everywhere in the game. There's posts in different threads stating there should be no PvP at all. There's people posting that they want Romulans as a playable race at launch. Other's wanting other races playable at launch. I don't think it's wrong saying that most everyone that comes to play the game will have to compromise on something, but most will still be able to enjoy it a great great deal I'm betting.

Yet with multiple issues that come up, there seems to be no compromise with the simmers. Or if there is, only after much teeth gnashing and long drawn out threads, and still some stomping off in a huff.

There seems to me to be a very unreasonably high sense of entitlement going on there, but maybe I'm wrong.




It's 'cool'. :)
I'm my own worst enemy when I take the soapbox and rarely does anything I say come out right. It is almost always in the Tellarite manner. No offense taken. Forgive me.
--

Well. Perhaps if we had some other folks who I feel can clearly speak for large majorities of the Star Trek gaming population, they might be able to back up what I am saying to some degree. Some I know well...the others I can say I have spoken to at least once on the subject of STO.

In my defense I guess I would would want:


Harry Lang from Paramount (former Executive of all star trek games)

Victor1st of Startrek-gamers.com

Chris Jones: Modder elite

Frey: SFC/Taldren

Erik Bethke: Taldren

Steve Cole/Amarillo Design Bureau

ChessMess: Formerly of STGU, creator of the initial 'Hailing Frequency' 'pilot' episodes, owner of Startrek-games.com

ALL the poll data back before 2004 from Startrek.com (that held steady for a long time at 80% engineering and simulation when none of the 'majority' had arrived yet. It was a real indication of who were the diehards at that time and what they wanted. SOLID, long lasting data.)

ALL the poll data from the Stanford study and private research studies done through Perpetual Entertainment.

ALL the poll data from STOnet.com

The United States Department of Defense (D.A.R.P.A.) Games Division (want to support STO infrastructure and hook it up with its associates for good science data for STO)

The National Science Foundation (Agreed using STO was better than spending 100 million on training teachers to put out into schools with hopes for a 20% return in 20 years. Has wanted to work with STO since 2005)

SETI (Has wanted to work with STO since 2005)

NASA/JPL (Has wanted to work with STO since 2005. Has developed a division to work MMO developers and those in control of STO are never there).

Doc Rick Sternbach: Senior Star Trek technical advisor (Has wanted to work on STO since 2005)

Derek Chester: Star Trek game and IDW Star Trek comic book writer (Legacy, Tactical Assault, Bridge Commander). On behalf of Derek I am allowed to Include: D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold.

Syd Mead: Illustrator/Industrial Designer

The Earth Simulator Group: Supercomputer Earth/Planet science data

IBM (SONY/Toshiba: CELL ): WHO specifically wrote essays on how to create a STO MMO and use GENE to do it.

Microsoft HPC division

'Serious Games' developers.

love me or hate me: Glen Dhalgren. Perpetual Entertainment
love me or hate me: Mitch Ferguson. Perpetual Entertainment
love me or hate me: Daron Stinnett. Perpetual Entertainment

James Cameron: Director (who loved the idea but Perpetual did not call so he went with another group to do AVATAR...all right after he spent that time with NASA and was gung ho!)

Every Star Trek role-player I have met and gamed with as Kinneas since the Prodigy network hosted the official Paramount Star Trek BBS role-playing boards when Deep Space Nine started.

Maybe the entire community at: Roddenberry.com, TrekToday, Trek United, Trek movie (What do ya say, Mr.Pascale?) (He should hate me though. We met several times on VERY bad terms and he's been very forgiving to me.


edit: I almost forgot: My friend.Zach Nicodemous. the executive producer and host of the Hailing Frequency podcast and hopefully the entire Hailing Frequency podcast listening audience!


Not to mention every hate post that has appeared about a Star Trek game since SFC3.


Hopefully some of them may come to back me up or blast me for representing their opinions incorrectly.
That list may represent a good number of people I feel I could ask to speak about the opinions I present for a fraction of the community.

[SirReginaldo]

Thanks to people like the padre, hagon, kinneas, we finnally have strong arguments that cryptic can use. I may not like or hate as many of your points as they deserve but good show mates!!

And a special thanks to Awen!!

[Hagon]

It's 'cool'. :)
I'm my own worst enemy when I take the soapbox and rarely does anything I say come out right. It is almost always in the Tellarite manner. No offense taken. Forgive me.
--

Well. Perhaps if we had some other folks who I feel can clearly speak for large majorities of the Star Trek gaming population, they might be able to back up what I am saying to some degree. Some I know well...the others I can say I have spoken to at least once on the subject of STO.

In my defense I guess I would would want:


Harry Lang from Paramount (former Executive of all star trek games)

Victor1st of Startrek-gamers.com

Chris Jones: Modder elite

Frey: SFC/Taldren

Erik Bethke: Taldren

Steve Cole/Amarillo Design Bureau

ChessMess: Formerly of STGU, creator of the initial 'Hailing Frequency' 'pilot' episodes, owner of Startrek-games.com

ALL the poll data back before 2004 from Startrek.com (that held steady for a long time at 80% engineering and simulation when none of the 'majority' had arrived yet. It was a real indication of who were the diehards at that time and what they wanted. SOLID, long lasting data.)

ALL the poll data from the Stanford study and private research studies done through Perpetual Entertainment.

ALL the poll data from STOnet.com

The United States Department of Defense (D.A.R.P.A.) Games Division (want to support STO infrastructure and hook it up with its associates for good science data for STO)

The National Science Foundation (Agreed using STO was better than spending 100 million on training teachers to put out into schools with hopes for a 20% return in 20 years. Has wanted to work with STO since 2005)

SETI (Has wanted to work with STO since 2005)

NASA/JPL (Has wanted to work with STO since 2005. Has developed a division to work MMO developers and those in control of STO are never there).

Doc Rick Sternbach: Senior Star Trek technical advisor (Has wanted to work on STO since 2005)

Derek Chester: Star Trek game and IDW Star Trek comic book writer (Legacy, Tactical Assault, Bridge Commander). On behalf of Derek I am allowed to Include: D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold.

Syd Mead: Illustrator/Industrial Designer

The Earth Simulator Group: Supercomputer Earth/Planet science data

IBM (SONY/Toshiba: CELL ): WHO specifically wrote essays on how to create a STO MMO and use GENE to do it.

Microsoft HPC division

'Serious Games' developers.

love me or hate me: Glen Dhalgren. Perpetual Entertainment
love me or hate me: Mitch Ferguson. Perpetual Entertainment
love me or hate me: Daron Stinnett. Perpetual Entertainment

James Cameron: Director (who loved the idea but Perpetual did not call so he went with another group to do AVATAR...all right after he spent that time with NASA and was gung ho!)

Every Star Trek role-player I have met and gamed with as Kinneas since the Prodigy network hosted the official Paramount Star Trek BBS role-playing boards when Deep Space Nine started.

edit: I almost forgot: Zach Nicodemous. the executive producer and host of the Hailing Frequency podcast


Not to mention every hate post that has appeared about a Star Trek game since SFC3.


Hopefully some of them may come to back me up or blast me for representing their opinions incorrectly.
That list may represent a good number of people I feel I could ask to speak about the opinions I present for a fraction of the community.Well I'd have to submit that while you may believe that there's consensus among people that have played other Star Trek games, something that I highly doubt by the way, there's also the fact that there's never been a Star Trek related game that has ever caught on with the general gaming public. Not even one that could be deemed a moderate success really.

Some, like Bridge Commander, have gained moderate success years after their release due to mods, but really even then it's been pretty small potatoes in terms of the numbers of players represented. (This game could change that though given the direction Cryptic has been going in so far in my opinion)

As for the ST simming community, well I'm not totally unfamiliar with it, and I simply don't believe that their numbers add up to any more than a small few thousand spread around the world.

So I'm afraid stating the opinion of "Star Trek Gamers", which I don't believe one group can rightly do anyway, as something to be held up as consequential is to me a pretty flimsy foundation from which to build a position.

Using the same rational as you, I could counter with market trends and general consensus of mmorpg enthusiasts spanning multiple MMOGaming related sites that primarily want a "fun" experience in STO, without getting too bogged down in ST related minutia and morality, with the game still retaining a ST feel to it.

That aside though, I don't think I'd be going too far out of the realm of possibility in surmising that seeing as Cryptic is in the business of making MMOGs, and not some neophyte at making them either, they have done their own market research on the subject, and have a feel for what their potential customer base wants.

That some people with impressive sounding titles might want it to be more is nice and all, and maybe over the years as the game evolves it will be, but as my ol' pappy always says, "In the business world money talks, male bovinae waste matter walks" (my ol' pappy was kind of a biologist).

I know how some hold Trek up on high as something that should be above all that, but really, when you get down to it? Despite all that it's influenced and whatnot? Star Trek has always been about making money for someone. It's always been steered by what might sell. That's tough for some to accept, I know that full well, but there it is

Believe me I've been a Star Trek lover for @35 years, and I could be standing on the pulpit preaching the Trek too. It's just that I've come to accept that the most I can hope for is that whomever is involved in any Star Trek related project, be it TV series, movies, computer game, whatever, respects it enough to keep it feeling like Star Trek. I've been let down, yes, but I think anyone that reads the various things that Cryptic has said from day one of announcing their intention of making this game, whatever their position is on some of the decisions made, should see that they do respect it a great deal, and should be confident that it'll feel Star Trekish enough.

[barrador]

Simple Question.. What Kind of currency the game will have?

[Kinneas]

It sounded like the DoD & NASA were willing to help fund STO and were willing to create and support the infrastructure...all if they called.

So. There is some money. And that is just the U.S. DoD.
-
Here is a question for France: What about the entire country of France getting behind it as a World Wonder project and giving it some money the way the Japanese nation supported the creation of Akira?
-

What about talking to the Vatican!? A grant from the Vatican for Star Trek Online??? WHAT!? Kirk means what? 2012 and Star Trek, what!?
---

They are building Star Trek Online. They can talk to anyone if they really wanted.

[AaronH]

ALL the poll data from the Stanford study and private research studies done through Perpetual Entertainment.

Wasn't that also the poll data that said people wanted to play members of the borg collective?

ALL the poll data from STOnet.com

Well, unfortunately pretty much the only thing you would ever get from STOnet polling data would be a plurality, as generally speaking the responses from users tended to be varied, never showing a clear favorite.


For the rest of your quoted groups, I have no doubt that members within those groups might have been interested, but that is a far cry from those groups taking an official stance on the subject.

I am going to have to side with the requests that you stop using the term "We". I think anybody who has been following this games development, and the star trek community in general, will notice that there is seldom any consensus on what is the best route to go for Star Trek, and to a lesser extent this game.

[barrador]

...Is a Shame that some games today have Fees.. games were supposed to gave fun.. and not take away money...why they don't put some pay items or premium accounts?:(

[Kinneas]

Wasn't that also the poll data that said people wanted to play members of the borg collective?

Yeah. I remember all they crying that day because it was poll data from the world at large and not this community.
--

[miqrogroove]

Knowing there were astrophysics folks on the team made me soar...but then come crashing down as it was de-emphasized for fun and cool, when it did not need to be de-emphasized at all.

That's a good way to put it. There's no need to make planets the size of skyscrapers or the size of large asteroids. It might be a minor improvement from older games, but still.. There should be a factor of awe about the true size of celestial bodies.

[omgthename]

...Is a Shame that some games today have Fees.. games were supposed to gave fun.. and not take away money...why they don't put some pay items or premium accounts?:(

You have always had to pay for games, Weather its a one off payment consol game, or pay to play, MMO's are not the only example of this - But arcade games such as pacman or House of the dead. One pound for a go, And every time its game over. Im sure people spent over £5 - £10 a month in there. So paying to play is nothing really to complain about.

- Question: They said about the movement being a possible joystick control. What about alternative movements for the Computer, Will the movement be like EVE (I hope not) Or a click to move such as RS or PP. (Again, I hope not,) Or will ships control like a flying mount in outland and recently post level 77 in Northrend. (Would be good)

[Hagon]

All those folks are doing is trying to show them how to make lots and lots and lots more money. Heh :) well you may very well believe that, but on the other hand, I believe it's more a case of a lot of them simply wanting their own little 2D Star Trek simulated universe to inhabit, and no thought at all is given to viability or sustainability.

How much of the market % has Cryptic ever had?Well their previous game, or games I guess, ranged from top 4/5 to top 7/8 in the entire MMOG market over the years I believe, but where they really shone was in consistently maintaining high subscription numbers.

Really though, this isn't going to get us anywhere is it?. You've probably believed what you believe for a long time. I'm pretty sure me wearing down my fingers and boring anyone reading me to tears isn't going to change your mind ;), and I'm a stubborn old man (get off my lawn! btw), so no hope for you there. :p

[osena]

...Is a Shame that some games today have Fees.. games were supposed to gave fun.. and not take away money...why they don't put some pay items or premium accounts?:(

i found it vary wrong to have to play for ingame items whit my hard earned cash i would play 15 bucks to play each month then haveing to to play for each item that i might found cool and be like that is so fliping cool am gonn have to buy that by the end of the month most players would have spent over 40 bucks on ingame items. or more and that would make the game a unfair playground cos those that have the most cash would have the best stuff over the top end game ships as those whit less money would be stuck in shuttels cos the do not have the money to buy bigger ships

so in the end playing flat rate of 15 bucks is better then paying by the item you be the judge

[PaperBackHero]

All this information only makes use want more.

[Doc_Trauma]

Heh, I find the arguement of pay to play funny. They say games should offer fun, not take money (usually teens or kids that don't have credit cards and mom won't pay for it). Firstly to keep your little universe running it takes money. Personally I don't see guildwars as being a successful game. None of the other games mentioned are even on the level of EQ, WoW, LotRO, City of, etc. If you play console games and you want to play online, you shell out 50 bucks a year. Not really much, but you have to pay. Computer games don't have that issue outside of MMOs.

Though look at it this way. It cost normally 15 bucks a month. That is 15 bucks for unlimited access all month. In most states it cost 9 bucks to go to a 1.5-2 hour movie. I'm not even going to do the math, but you get where I'm going. MMOs and gaming are entertainment. You want to watch TV and get more than two fuzzy channels? You pay for cable...20-50 bucks a month. Online games a hugely cost effective form of entertainment. You get a ton of product for your money. Okay, enough on that, as Hagon said, if you are complaining about paying for a game it's generally because you simply can't and you want to.

Nice info, but the only thing I didn't like at all. In fact I HATED, was the statement about having to use credits to get a ship. That is COMPLETELY un- Star-Trek. Yes, using transporter credits, etc, etc is a good point, and if we have to buy those items then great, but starship Captains do NOT buy their ships. They go through Starfleet, earn rank and responsiblity, and are eventually given an available captaincy or before becoming a captain might be "captain" of a smaller vessel. Heck, most sub commanders and smaller ship commanders in the Navy are not Captain by rank, only by title. Same in Starfleet. I HATE the idea of buying ships in starfleet or the KDF. Just horribly un-canon. And for the record it isn't the idea of buying your ship alone that bothers me, it is the method. Credits or money? Just not Star Trek, not in the two militaries we are using. Bring in the Ferenghi, then okay. I just wish they'd have chosen a better method if they want you to buy ships. Prestige or honor. Yes it's a form of currency, it just makes more sense though. Oh well..I ranted and said my piece. They have it in, it's not likely to change so we, or I rather, will have to live with it. It's not a game breaker, just one more area of immersion I have to "work" past. I'm an Rper, so sue me. :)

Oh and yes I can see the use or need for currency when dealing with other races that aren't "money" free.

[Traveller]

thx alot Awen more info for the fans.

[Duckdee]

[...]our focus is to make sure the game is fun and playable – not to create a simulator. The problem with just modeling real space is that it’s boring: there’s an awful lot of space in space.

[...] For us, though, it’s far more important that the game looks cool and plays cool.

We want you guys to be blown away by the settings and environments; we want the game to make a larger than life impression on you. That’s a much higher priority for us than whether or not the planet has a proper orbit or every space station is perfectly placed in a good Lagrangian point.
Yay!

Not exactly how I would've put it, but how I would've put it would've gotten me in trouble. :p

[Illusionism]

Thanks for sharing the information Awen. This get me even more excited for STO.

[osena]

Heh, I find the arguement of pay to play funny. They say games should offer fun, not take money (usually teens or kids that don't have credit cards and mom won't pay for it). Firstly to keep your little universe running it takes money. Personally I don't see guildwars as being a successful game. None of the other games mentioned are even on the level of EQ, WoW, LotRO, City of, etc. If you play console games and you want to play online, you shell out 50 bucks a year. Not really much, but you have to pay. Computer games don't have that issue outside of MMOs.

Though look at it this way. It cost normally 15 bucks a month. That is 15 bucks for unlimited access all month. In most states it cost 9 bucks to go to a 1.5-2 hour movie. I'm not even going to do the math, but you get where I'm going. MMOs and gaming are entertainment. You want to watch TV and get more than two fuzzy channels? You pay for cable...20-50 bucks a month. Online games a hugely cost effective form of entertainment. You get a ton of product for your money. Okay, enough on that, as Hagon said, if you are complaining about paying for a game it's generally because you simply can't and you want to.

Nice info, but the only thing I didn't like at all. In fact I HATED, was the statement about having to use credits to get a ship. That is COMPLETELY un- Star-Trek. Yes, using transporter credits, etc, etc is a good point, and if we have to buy those items then great, but starship Captains do NOT buy their ships. They go through Starfleet, earn rank and responsiblity, and are eventually given an available captaincy or before becoming a captain might be "captain" of a smaller vessel. Heck, most sub commanders and smaller ship commanders in the Navy are not Captain by rank, only by title. Same in Starfleet. I HATE the idea of buying ships in starfleet or the KDF. Just horribly un-canon. And for the record it isn't the idea of buying your ship alone that bothers me, it is the method. Credits or money? Just not Star Trek, not in the two militaries we are using. Bring in the Ferenghi, then okay. I just wish they'd have chosen a better method if they want you to buy ships. Prestige or honor. Yes it's a form of currency, it just makes more sense though. Oh well..I ranted and said my piece. They have it in, it's not likely to change so we, or I rather, will have to live with it. It's not a game breaker, just one more area of immersion I have to "work" past. I'm an Rper, so sue me. :)

Oh and yes I can see the use or need for currency when dealing with other races that aren't "money" free.


credits to get a ship would be form of command points you get so many command points and you can turn them in to credit chips and pay that way but i was under the impression that fleets could pull together and build there own ships unless the are going to drop that idea and go for command point systeam you gess is good as mine i would hope for each mission that is giveing to you by starfleet command depending on how well you do it you would get command credits you could save up to turn in for command of a better ship

[Qugie]

I just hope the Game is not easy like WOW and more Hard Like Lineage 2. I don't want see everyone with top Star Ship all trick out. It should take a lot of credits to get the next ship up.


And what Ship will we all start with? it should be less then a runabout.


I'm all for Hard core gaming and not Hello Kitty gaming.

[Sir_Cedric]

Since the Federation has evolved beyond money and the need for it, how will the galactic economy work and flow for the Federation and indeed the Klingons? Will there also be opportunities for cross-faction trading?

The Federation may have grown beyond the need for money within itself, but the rest of the galaxy hasn’t. Even within the Federation there is a sense of credits: transporter credits and replicator credits. You can’t simply decide one day that you want a starship and then get one, you have to have enough credits for that. Outside of the Federation, there’s a thriving galactic economy that uses gold pressed latinum. You, as a Starfleet officer, will participate in that economy on behalf of the Federation. As for cross faction trading – we’re looking into how black markets might fit into the game.

Ok after reading this, I wonder if we will see a player baced black market in STO. I for one have been saying we should get a freelancer type faction within STO. One that doesn't answer to the different facts, and they can trade freely within each faction. But if you make so it's in a black market setup that would be even better.

I still would love to see CIVs within the factions, they would be limited to their faction rules, but having a freelancer black market faction in the game, with sub-sections of crime lords would be even better. Sure these guys shouldn't get the faction ships, but it would open the door to a few ship designs never seen before In Star Trek.

I really hope this idea is worked on after this game goes GOLD, it would add so much more to a game that is shaping up really great.

[wade.mcgillis]

You can’t, as a Starfleet officer, get a Klingon Warbird and pimp it and then go jaunting around the galaxy doing your Federation work.

DAMN IT.


I wanted to have the HMS Bounty.

[Vicelance]

Good info this time. Though I understand them wanting to make the game fun I hope it feels like the distance between planets is large. I don't want to leave Earth's orbit blink and find myself at Pluto.

[Sir_Cedric]

Nevermind the blink to pluto, how about lletting us dock at the different starbases like Earth Spacedock. IMO we sould get an option to see the fully docking to places like this. Sure you can do a quick dock, but a lot of us want to see what it's like to dock and undock from the different places, if nothing else to full like we are there.

" Captain we are cleared to leave the dock. "

" Helm signal the worker bees and clear all docking claps. "

" Operations turn on all external lighting and power up the warp core. "

" Helm take us ahead at 1/4 trusters. "

Then you get to watch your ship leave whatever dock it's been sitting in, and off you go on your 1st mission of the day. Ok so alot of people might not like to see that much detail when undocking or docking, but it's the little things that will make this game great.

[GFLOffkeyCO]

where can i turn in an application for beta testing for the Galactic Foriegn Legion. I will sign and follow all rules and nda's ect. My skills with previous startrek games and swg will definately be of use to cryptic

[GFLOffkeyCO]

How can i submit an application for beta testing. I missed the new planet contest due to working hours however have exceptional skills for testing and plenty experience

[Sir_Cedric]

Just wait for the next contest, sounds like they will have a few more.

[jdunbar9]

I love the Ask Cryptic. But it always leaves me asking new questions.

Like when they mentioned about Bi-pedal vs. Non-Bi-Pedal aliens. The answer they gave satisfied one question but raised another. Does anyone know if when they state "that tails can be added via costume or body options" does that mean if I change costumes that I will lose my tail. I highly doubt that, But I am wondering how that dilemma will be settled.

It starts to raise question about other things that are on our costume's, like will items (pins and Medals, or even pips) be transfered over when we change them or will they too be removed by changing costumes. Just a little food for thought.

P.S. sorry if someone already asked this question.

[The_Padre]

I love the Ask Cryptic. But it always leaves me asking new questions.

Like when they mentioned about Bi-pedal vs. Non-Bi-Pedal aliens. The answer they gave satisfied one question but raised another. Does anyone know if when they state "that tails can be added via costume or body options" does that mean if I change costumes that I will lose my tail. I highly doubt that, But I am wondering how that dilemma will be settled.

It starts to raise question about other things that are on our costume's, like will items (pins and Medals, or even pips) be transfered over when we change them or will they too be removed by changing costumes. Just a little food for thought.

P.S. sorry if someone already asked this question.

I got the impression that if you have a "tail" they'll be costume or more precisely uniform options available for them.

[jdunbar9]

I got the impression that if you have a "tail" they'll be costume or more precisely uniform options available for them.

Ok that makes so much more sense lol. I don't why I had the image in my head of once having designed your body you had to get special uniform pants that had tails in them.

[Veglargh]

Thank you Cryptic Team.

[SenshiBat]

This aint no Amish Buggy
This anit no coupe deville in a cracker jack box..
This aint no SFC III fo sure..

or may the great bird of Bethke fly up your Event Horizon.. Scare up an Aspect and Blind you with a Avatar.

I like the Gallery of Names... the JPL Exoplanetary and WISE teams cant publicly endorse private for profit
Enterprises... maybe you could get a Richard C. Hoagland cheaper...
Il ike the Idea of SETI@Home.. try doing somethign good for them.. ingame.. Bridge station.. running CPU cycles for the Community Pride?

[alucard1]

Nice, looks like part of my question got in there. I am still curious if we will get website support for that so we can add links to our own fleet pages that monitor sector status.

That being said, I know I ahve a few fleet members who will be happy to know they can add a tail to their character to :)

Well, SS, that really is going to depend on the "type" of tail we're given... I.e., CoX tail is going to be met with some frustration... If it's moveable.. and animated... yes, there will be screams of joy across the galaxy.. I am sure...

Me, specifically... am not all that interested in 'tails' for Star Trek... as I can't recall enough species I've ever seen with them. However... after hearing some of the rants on the CoH boards for the last five years tells me that there are those out there that will be miffed if they get what was given in CoX...

Peace

[alucard1]

Simple Question.. What Kind of currency the game will have?

You must have missed where they said Credits, and GPL (Gold Pressed Latinum.)

Peace

[Honvik]

interesting about PVP there

[Collapsingstar]

Warning - Excitement reaching maximum tolerance levels.

Nerdgasim in TEN...

[Kinneas]

This aint no Amish Buggy
This anit no coupe deville in a cracker jack box..
This aint no SFC III fo sure..

or may the great bird of Bethke fly up your Event Horizon.. Scare up an Aspect and Blind you with a Avatar.

I like the Gallery of Names... the JPL Exoplanetary and WISE teams cant publicly endorse private for profit
Enterprises... maybe you could get a Richard C. Hoagland cheaper...
Il ike the Idea of SETI@Home.. try doing somethign good for them.. ingame.. Bridge station.. running CPU cycles for the Community Pride?

Yessir!

Cause...

~This aint no party~
~This aint no disco~
~This aint no foolin' around~
~This ain't no MUDD club, or C. B. G. B.
~I ain't got time for that now~

--Talking Heads: Life During Wartime

[Flatfingers]

Today's Ask Cryptic (thanks!) provided some especially intriguing answers. As more information is revealed about actual gameplay mechanics in Star Trek Online, the answers given will begin to raise even more questions, not to mention the usual "concerns about the direction this game appears to be going."

I have a few. :)

But before I go there, I'd like to add my thanks to the contributors of those answers for their honesty. Some of us will be unhappy about some of the directions that Cryptic seems to be indicating that they're taking this game, but I believe Cryptic is doing the right thing in being as forthright as they can be at this time about those design choices.

Speaking for myself, regardless of how I feel about any particular revelation, I want to say that I appreciate Cryptic's honesty with us regarding their design decisions.

OK, on to specifics!

The star systems that are going to be changing hands are in the Klingon / Federation neutral zone where PvP and indirect PvP will be taking place. The systems within the Neutral Zone will change loyalty between the two factions, and their status will show up on the sector level map. The actual high level map itself is not going to change territory lines.

So there's a Neutral Zone again between the UFP and the Klingon Empire?

Who restored it?

And who's enforcing it?

Are those interfering Organians (http://flatfingers-theory.blogspot.com/2007/08/interfering-organians.html) back?

Even within the Federation there is a sense of credits: transporter credits and replicator credits. You can’t simply decide one day that you want a starship and then get one, you have to have enough credits for that.

Was that a difficult game design decision to make? What made the mechanic of "buying" starships with transporter/replicator credits (whatever they are) appear to be a better choice for this particular licensed-IP game than non-tradeable "prestige," or even of letting Starfleet characters select rank-appropriate ships for free but imposing some reasonable minimum-use period to prevent rapid switching?

It sounds as though someone on the design team has decided that Star Trek Online must include a relatively deep economic subgame. I'd be very interested in a peek into Cryptic's reasoning behind that decision, given its powerful impact on the "feel" of any MMORPG.

our focus is to make sure the game is fun and playable – not to create a simulator.

Sigh. The spirit of former Star Trek Online producer Daron Stinnett is apparently alive and well and occupying an office in Los Gatos....

"This group needs to stop thinking of STO as the uber Star Trek simulator and come to terms with the idea that this is a game."
-- posted by Daron Stinnett, producer of Star Trek Online for Perpetual Entertainment, to the now-defunct StarTrek-Online.net fan discussion forum on November 22, 2006

Where we can, we’ll make the game match up with real space. For us, though, it’s far more important that the game looks cool and plays cool.

We want you guys to be blown away by the settings and environments; we want the game to make a larger than life impression on you. That’s a much higher priority for us than whether or not the planet has a proper orbit or every space station is perfectly placed in a good Lagrangian point.

As some may have noticed, this question of how to represent alien worlds in an online game based on Star Trek is a subject of special interest (http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=13123) to me.

I have to say before anything else that I don't disagree with the overall position of Cryptic on this. "Fun" obviously should trump other concerns when there's an actual conflict.

The sticking point, as is so often the case when designing a large and complex gameworld, is that not every likely player of such a game will have the same definition of what's fun.

This particular gameworld depends for its very existence on an intellectual property that, even as science fiction, even if not always successfully, at least tried to respect science. For its fans, that respect matters. It's one of the things that distinguishes Star Trek from other entertainment products that consider science a mere nice-to-have-as-long-as-it-doesn't-get-in-the-way. (I don't believe it's coincidence that the science advisor for TNG and DS9, Naren Shankar, is executive producer of the very popular CSI.)

In a game based on Star Trek, the science should matter. Of course it shouldn't take over... but it shouldn't always lose in every conflict between science and conventional MMORPG gameplay, either. Science -- including the exploration of the characteristics of strange new alien worlds and lifeforms -- is "cool," too. That kind of thoughtful content is not an undesirable alternative to "plays cool"; it's an opportunity unique to a Star Trek game to have additional content that "plays cool."

So it's good to hear that, when possible, Star Trek Online space will resemble what we know about real space (with, of course, the many additional and sometimes not-entirely-scientific additions that Star Trek has appended over the years). To have that said is enough to leave me with some hope that STO isn't being conceived as just another game where the only definition of "fun" that its designers can imagine is non-stop, hypercompetitive destruction.

But I hope we've seen for the last time official comments implying that "fun" and some level of "simulation" are mutually exclusive. They're not. And a Star Trek MMORPG, of all games, is the one game that can and should be designed to show how badly mistaken that belief is and to attract paying customers by doing so.

You can’t, as a Starfleet officer, get a Klingon Warbird and pimp it and then go jaunting around the galaxy doing your Federation work. You have to use the ships that belong to your faction.

This strikes me as a very good example of how active gameplay and respect for the IP can be balanced. I'm glad to see it.

Overall, I have a feeling that this is one Ask Cryptic that will have us chattering for a looooooong time. ;)

--Flatfingers

[SenshiBat]

Yessir!

Cause...

~This aint no party~
~This aint no disco~
~This aint no foolin' around~
~This ain't no MUDD club, or C. B. G. B.
~I ain't got time for that now~

--Talking Heads: Life During Wartime


Or

it was an evening I shared with the sun
to find out where we belong
from the earliest days
we were dancing in the shadows
-Live, L Juice...
But only Now We have had some more Light Shed?

I forgot it was Ask Cryptic and Not Tell Cryptic....

[AaronH]

Well, SS, that really is going to depend on the "type" of tail we're given... I.e., CoX tail is going to be met with some frustration... If it's moveable.. and animated... yes, there will be screams of joy across the galaxy.. I am sure...

Peace

There were tails in one of the videos for Champions recently, and they were very animated, so while it is two different crews working on these two games, I don't see why they wouldn't share the tech for that.

[Azurian]

Star Maps: I'm happy there is going to be a large star map. I'm assuming it will be zoomable. ;)

And if you have real astronomers and astrophysicist, then you should have the Star Maps from the Star Trek: Star Charts book to be more realistic and true-to-life. ;)


PvP Zones: I'm honestly mixed on this subject. It really reminds me of the Realm vs Realm from Dark Ages of Camelot, where only a set amount of territory is PvP and you take control of key zones. And that's the part I don't like, with it having only a set ammount of territory. Because having it just in the PvP zones is boring, we need to see it ocuring outside the territories of the Empires and the Federation space.

Joysticks: I'm seriously going to love this. Being a Fighter Pilot, I got a nice system that can maximize combat effectiveness in STO. :D

Player Characteristics: Can't wait to see Tails in the game.

Credits: Sounds good, but if you want an idea to handle Black Markets, you should reconsider having a Neutral or Freelancing Faction.

Stealing / Borring Faction Ships: Sounds okay, but not very fun.

[pops64]

Thx for the new info good job on keeping us informed :)

[Scars]

I have only 1 question for Cypt WHEN WHEN WHEN oh When is the game coming out ????
i don't no about the rest of you but i've been waiting a VERY long time for this game an I'm close to just giving up an calling it dead I hope it's not but... after 4 / 5 years of waiting an after the sale ect.... i'm almost ready to call it dead i see the new screen shots ect but i'd like to see a beta or something hell maybe a contest to beta test it something playable hell even a 10 min demo something anything

[JeanLucPICAR]

I hope that they will launch the game soon, i cant wait to play

[JeanLucPICAR]

yes, a demo, so we can see how the game will look like, if the game ever releases?

[nobie1]

hi i was wondering if the Q was going to be in star trek online seen as Q is the most fascinating character of all time in the legacy of all star trek
nobie1

[Ensign.Ricky]

Even within the Federation there is a sense of credits: transporter credits and replicator credits....

Wait a minute...Transporter credits? I'm not going to need to accumulate credits just to get around am I? The last thing I want to hear when I say "Beam me up Scotty" is "I canna do it Cap'n, ya dunnah hav anee credits!"

[A-British-Ferengi]

Cryptic is gonna play havoc with the lore in my opinion, they cant give us all the galaxy there are just too many star systems

[Merius]

Thanks for the answers Cryptic! I enjoyed reading them.

I do hope science doesnt take a back seat to 'fun', because I do hope that I can learn something new when I play the game - or at least feel like I'm learning something new!

[Tribble_Licker]

Cryptic is gonna play havoc with the lore in my opinion, they cant give us all the galaxy there are just too many star systems
I think Cryptic will surprise many of us with the vastness of the universe they will lay out for us.

I am definately excited by what I have seen already.

Oh, look! a Tribble!!!

[barrador]

You must have missed where they said Credits, and GPL (Gold Pressed Latinum.)

Peace

Hey Man Thx i for missed that hehe
thx for remember

[SenshiBat]

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

A tear in my beer
i know i put it here
on the counter
in Quarks
hands wide open

together we can work it out

[Xameoh]

Hey just wanted to know if all Star Trek races are in this game, I myself like Romulans, Breen and Hirogen.:D

[LordDave]

Cryptic is gonna play havoc with the lore in my opinion, they cant give us all the galaxy there are just too many star systems

Well not the whole galaxy, but they can certainly give us 500-1,000 star systems per faction easily. Most of them will be computer generated so they setup a program to automatically generate numbers, which represent the system configuration, let it sit running overnight, and by morning the whole alpha quadrant is made.

[brandonvi]

Would you be able to use the joystick to control your characters and starship?

You should be able to do that. All of the commands may not map, depending on what sort of joystick you have but, since the game is being built for the PC as well as the console, you should be able to hook up a joystick to your PC and play that way.

I am kind of concerned about this part of what they were saying

Has it been stated that this is going to be on consoles and PC before?

I was really hopeing this game would be a Wow killer but MMORPG even star trek which I love is going to be fail if it is on both computer and console doing both just makes them both fail.

[LordDave]

I am kind of concerned about this part of what they were saying

Has it been stated that this is going to be on consoles and PC before?

I was really hopeing this game would be a Wow killer but MMORPG even star trek which I love is going to be fail if it is on both computer and console doing both just makes them both fail.

It's been stated since day 1, yes.

Though why would it fail just because it's console and PC? All it really changes is the interface, and even then not a whole lot since typing will require a keyboard anyway and FF Online does it just fine.

[Ensign.Ricky]

I am kind of concerned about this part of what they were saying

Has it been stated that this is going to be on consoles and PC before?

I was really hopeing this game would be a Wow killer but MMORPG even star trek which I love is going to be fail if it is on both computer and console doing both just makes them both fail.

What makes you say that? Isn't champions coming out on consoles too?

[brandonvi]

It's been stated since day 1, yes.

Though why would it fail just because it's console and PC? All it really changes is the interface, and even then not a whole lot since typing will require a keyboard anyway and FF Online does it just fine.

When FF came out people thought it was going to crush everything simply because it was FF but being on the console limited the game so much that while it is still around it is far from crushing anything.

By having games on the console you have to limit the UI that players have and not let people mod it at all or very little.

This is a big reason why WOW is so big you can find thousands and thousands of UI mods that will make the game just like you want it to be but when games are on consoles you cant do that because that gives all the people on computers an unfair advantage.

Things like Questhelper somthing in Wow that tells you a general area where what you need to kill or what ever for a quest is cant be allowed
or things like recount which keeps track of how much damage/healing everyone in a group or in this case fleet does can't really be in this game inless it is made in by them.

Well I find this news sad wish I had known this before guess it is down to "Star Gate Worlds" or the new star wars MMORPG to be the new good one. bla

[Manx]

When FF came out people thought it was going to crush everything simply because it was FF but being on the console limited the game so much that while it is still around it is far from crushing anything.

By having games on the console you have to limit the UI that players have and not let people mod it at all or very little.

This is a big reason why WOW is so big you can find thousands and thousands of UI mods that will make the game just like you want it to be but when games are on consoles you cant do that because that gives all the people on computers an unfair advantage.

Things like Questhelper somthing in Wow that tells you a general area where what you need to kill or what ever for a quest is cant be allowed
or things like recount which keeps track of how much damage/healing everyone in a group or in this case fleet does can't really be in this game inless it is made in by them.

Well I find this news sad wish I had known this before guess it is down to "Star Gate Worlds" or the new star wars MMORPG to be the new good one. bla

Being released on console didn't hurt FFXI one little bit; in a few months it will be seven years old and still doing well. How many other MMOs can say that? It failed to crush the opposition simply because WoW was released and has dominated the MMO scene ever since.

[LordDave]

When FF came out people thought it was going to crush everything simply because it was FF but being on the console limited the game so much that while it is still around it is far from crushing anything.

By having games on the console you have to limit the UI that players have and not let people mod it at all or very little.

This is a big reason why WOW is so big you can find thousands and thousands of UI mods that will make the game just like you want it to be but when games are on consoles you cant do that because that gives all the people on computers an unfair advantage.

Things like Questhelper somthing in Wow that tells you a general area where what you need to kill or what ever for a quest is cant be allowed
or things like recount which keeps track of how much damage/healing everyone in a group or in this case fleet does can't really be in this game inless it is made in by them.

Well I find this news sad wish I had known this before guess it is down to "Star Gate Worlds" or the new star wars MMORPG to be the new good one. bla

Being released on console didn't hurt FFXI one little bit; in a few months it will be seven years old and still doing well. How many other MMOs can say that? It failed to crush the opposition simply because WoW was released and has dominated the MMO scene ever since.

What manx said.

[brandonvi]

Being released on console didn't hurt FFXI one little bit; in a few months it will be seven years old and still doing well. How many other MMOs can say that? It failed to crush the opposition simply because WoW was released and has dominated the MMO scene ever since.

? lol your own info hurts your case you know Wow is 4 years old FFXI is 7 years old that means FF had 3 years to make a base of players it FAILED. (but that info seems to be wrong there was only around 13 mounths between FFXI and WOW coming out)

You are right there are few MMOs that can say they have gone for 7 years

Final Fantasy XI Square Enix 10/28/03 US Info from http://www.gamefaqs.com cant be 100% but i think FF is only 5 years old not 7

Asheron's Call Microsoft Game Studios 10/31/99 US 9 years old and still going

Anarchy Online Fun Com 06/26/01 US

Dark Age of Camelot Mythic Entertainment 09/01/01 US

City of Heroes NCsoft 04/27/04 US only 6 months newer then FFXI

EverQuest Sony Online Entertainment 03/16/99 US

EVE Online Simon & Schuster 05/06/03 US

Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle NCsoft 04/27/04 US again with in 6 months

Neverwinter Nights Atari 06/16/02 US

Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided LucasArts 07/09/03 US

Anyway being on a console is fine if your on one for that game, but when you transfer a game from a console over to the pc it makes the game seem clunky and like it does not belong

When FFXI came out it was that way I played it for a while and ended up quiting and playing a game that was 4 years older just to get away from the bad User interface in that game. If that game had been PC only the UI would of been made better for a PC and the game would of been much better.

[LordDave]

Anyway being on a console is fine if your on one for that game, but when you transfer a game from a console over to the pc it makes the game seem clunky and like it does not belong

When FFXI came out it was that way I played it for a while and ended up quiting and playing a game that was 4 years older just to get away from the bad User interface in that game. If that game had been PC only the UI would of been made better for a PC and the game would of been much better.

See, your assumption is that they'll port from console to PC rather then PC to console.

[SenshiBat]

I want to ply my craft to the Pillars of Creation.. the Eagle Nebula..
and not get lost under the vast indifference of heaven.

Remember Boom towns built around mining endeavours..now ghost towns..
could be a real traffic jam at DS9.. just trying to get into a holding pattern with ATC...

So much too see so little time...
and that's just the present identified "non-registered Public domain space"
after we use up the Greco Romanesque Pantheons to named places.. where do we go next?

Ralph star or Raquel star System.. I hope there will be some class or reasonable edicate..
I don't want a mission to dog flank cluster showing up on my screen ..
Boarder Collie Yorkie Terrier.. maybe.. Proper Names not rude Slang..

Cliche inside joke or Puns.. SB JTK..Memorial[ james Tiberius Kirk].[Farm Planet Awen.. ok.. Galactic Pit Stops called Bladder farm..not so much.
Note to Beta crew Rando phraser..can generate things that blush Small unsupervised Tribbles...

[Manx]

? lol your own info hurts your case you know Wow is 4 years old FFXI is 7 years old that means FF had 3 years to make a base of players it FAILED. (but that info seems to be wrong there was only around 13 mounths between FFXI and WOW coming out)

You are right there are few MMOs that can say they have gone for 7 years

Final Fantasy XI Square Enix 10/28/03 US Info from http://www.gamefaqs.com cant be 100% but i think FF is only 5 years old not 7



Well, you are not wrong about the US release date; but I was counting from the Japanese release date which was 16th May 2002.

[SenshiBat]

Air WArrior.. Primaraly WWII sim but with Korean and WWI options.. LAnd and Air combat via vehicles and historic recreations..massive battles..or raids. Revolving on a ficticious map representing three factions
A-B-C land Blue Red Green...LAnd. capturable bases.. stratigic plants to bomb to limit availability of certain vehicles to enemy or quality of them and fuel.. Euro Like theater of operations and an ISland maps one Historic area Pearl Harbour and all that Islands Bases.. Ford Island spooky going low over battleship row..
others similar to major island chains in PAC theater..
Around for years.. Sold to a company that stil exist and sufficated because it competed with and was better than another Air Combat Sim..they were pushing
in loyal player base.. Hundereds in multi servers.. server limit 250 because of tech at the time.
P-T-P- reasonable
access dial up was about it a 56k and you had smooth aerial combat with reasonable 3d skins.
playability built in VOIP...private squadron channels.. a Ready Room with a current base map and Score Board for individual Skills and Squadron skills..
the community moved one.. it had to the thing dissapeared.. quicker that dynaservers on Mplayer for SFC
which was Assumulated my Adware Spy...
for SFC II and the fradgile SFCIII....which shipped broken and required multi patches to even boot up.
what a waste of CPU'S expencive..ones..
a painfull decline of fun is a horror show i hope to avoid here...
We're not Nostalgic..just old enough to remember history as it happen...

[JacobFlowers]

[QUOTEIs it possible to purchase, capture, or steal ships of the opposite faction? For example, can a Federation officer acquire a Klingon Bird of Prey, or maybe even a Romulan Warbird or must you be a member of those factions to access those ships?

There will probably be episodes where you get to commandeer starships from other factions. But you don’t get to keep them. You can’t, as a Starfleet officer, get a Klingon Warbird and pimp it and then go jaunting around the galaxy doing your Federation work. You have to use the ships that belong to your faction.[/QUOTE]

Okay, now one moment please...

Of course this game will be different from EVE. However the prestige in that game comes from the ships you fly, the ships you sport.

With regard to STO... I think perhaps the capture of enemy faction ships can be turned in for a MASSIVE amount of credits. This could be a daily PvP activity (maybe).

Now... I love the federation. But I also LOVE trophy ships. I understand if the devs won't let us keep opposing faction ships because that is in line with the ST Universe. However what about Shore leave, or extended leave time from the service? Are these options where we are exempt from Star Fleet responsibilities. Can there be the purchase, capture, or even attaining of "trophy" ships that we can float around in just for prize, or even ships that have special abilities (i.e. ships geared for archeology, or science, or even luxury vessels).

As a side note... TNG was bomb because i mean hey... a Galaxy class ship commands your attention. Bless Janeway and her voyager, but a ship with a compliment of 40 some torpedoes is laughable. Perhaps some would disagree, but I think that size DOES matter in the TNG Universe. It was a disappointment after TNG that things just kept getting smaller and smaller in the other series (with the exception of DS9 in which we were big... but stationary... then dinky and able to go places).

Anyone up for BSG? ;-)

[NWalker]

I like the idea of a black market a lot.

[X113phantom]

Can my klingon have a Targ or specialize as some kind of beastmaster?

[whitewolf83]

Hello I have a couple of question about the game


(1) Will Every one deside What class starship they will start off with or no ?

(2) On Missions for away missions Do you have the options to use the teleporters or the shuttle craft or can you only use the telaporters ?


(3) Will you have the class star ships like the Galaxy class be able to separated the saucer part from the rest of the ship , and with the prometheus class be able to use the Multi-vector Assault Mode, or no ?

(3) Will the Armor that Voyager came home with be part of an upgrade to your ships or no?

(4) If you are useing the shuttle crafts whatr can they do can they fight and have shields or no?

(5) with the weapons hand held will players be able to use the older hand weapons and combadges from there favcrite shows or will it be set already ?

(6) Will the main cast from the other shows make an apear in the game for missions or no ?

(7) If your going to go with the startrek will the rules be in affect like EXample The Prime Dircetive ?

(8) with hand held weapons will you have them have only so much ammo and you have to reload and the same with the starships too ?

thank you fr reading this .

[Druid666]

will you be able to manually land on the plaent surface both the shuttles and the actual starship as for me that will be a fun part for me trying to land a modded akira class:)

[Druid666]

what about melee weapons will there be any that can be used when your ship gets boarded:D as that would be well kool:cool:

[whitewolf83]

Hello I have some Questions about the game

(1) Like one for away missions DO you have the choice to pick to use the telaporters or to use the shuttlecrafts or be able to land your starship on the planet like voyager could do ?

(2) Can Anyone pick there class starship that they can start out with or is that already picked out when you start?

(3) With the Galaxy Class starships will you be able to use the saucers section to seperate from the rest of the ship ?

(4) if you have the prometheus class be able to use the Multi-vector Assault Mode? Also Will you have the afects like for the intrepid class with the warp nacelles can shift microns in their positions when going in to warp drive ?

(5) Also will there be a chance that the ablative armour will be part of the upgrade for your ships like when Voyager came home with or no?

(6) With the handheld weapons will people be about to pick what style handheld weapons they can use ?
Also with that will there be a amount of ammo you will have for the weapons and you have to reload the weapon and the same with the weapons on the ships ?

(7) Will the main chacters like Janeway , Picard , an the rest make an apeares in the game like in missions that they give you or need to help them with ?



(8) Will the cloak be also a part of the upgrade like they have on the Defiant and if so Will you put in a time limit that you can stay in the cloak too ?

(10) If you will be useing the shuttle crafts will you be also letting u use the shuttlecrafts to fight to useing shields and phasers or no ?

(11) with some worlds that you are making are you going to add the use of the suites to be able to go on to planets that dosen't have air to breath ?

(12) Also In the game will you have a chat that you can talk to the players that are around you or are you going to use the open chat with each players like useing the com systems to be able to talk to each other ?

thank you for reading this can't wait to hear what you think about it . thanks
:D

[Druid666]

ill admit that those are good ideas and id like to raise another idea to consider will you always have the beams on ships like the akira and the nova or will you be able to get the pulse cannons like the defiant class as to be honest that will make the fights harder and more fun:)

[Williamshatner]

What about the evolution of phasers? From the one clip I have seen that had phasers, the hand held phasers/rifles look the same as they have always looked. Are they at the apex of phaser tech?

[RealRom]

What about the evolution of phasers? From the one clip I have seen that had phasers, the hand held phasers/rifles look the same as they have always looked. Are they at the apex of phaser tech?

And related to this question: Will one have the ability to modify these weapons beyond UFOP/Klingon Empire "base specs", provided you have access to, say, an advanced engineer char or similar?

[omgthename]

To add to that more so, What will be the limit of hand held / ship modifications? Will you be able to go into insane details (Such as upgrading a power cell inside a single phaser) Or will it be really vaige and cover a large area with one thing Such as "Big shield upgrade". It would be cool if you could crawl around the Jefferies tubes checking and changing stuff.

[Starship01]

1)are you going to be able to have two characters on one server
2)If you can be a trill can you have a symboint in you ?
3) Can a character have abilities like Trill joining a host and a symboint ?

thanks

Captain Boyle :cool:

[BANGERS]

can anyone tell me when their hope to launch the game plz

[Scars]

[QUOTEIs it possible to purchase, capture, or steal ships of the opposite faction? For example, can a Federation officer acquire a Klingon Bird of Prey, or maybe even a Romulan Warbird or must you be a member of those factions to access those ships?

There will probably be episodes where you get to commandeer starships from other factions. But you don’t get to keep them. You can’t, as a Starfleet officer, get a Klingon Warbird and pimp it and then go jaunting around the galaxy doing your Federation work. You have to use the ships that belong to your faction.

Okay, now one moment please...

Of course this game will be different from EVE. However the prestige in that game comes from the ships you fly, the ships you sport.

With regard to STO... I think perhaps the capture of enemy faction ships can be turned in for a MASSIVE amount of credits. This could be a daily PvP activity (maybe).

Now... I love the federation. But I also LOVE trophy ships. I understand if the devs won't let us keep opposing faction ships because that is in line with the ST Universe. However what about Shore leave, or extended leave time from the service? Are these options where we are exempt from Star Fleet responsibilities. Can there be the purchase, capture, or even attaining of "trophy" ships that we can float around in just for prize, or even ships that have special abilities (i.e. ships geared for archeology, or science, or even luxury vessels).

As a side note... TNG was bomb because i mean hey... a Galaxy class ship commands your attention. Bless Janeway and her voyager, but a ship with a compliment of 40 some torpedoes is laughable. Perhaps some would disagree, but I think that size DOES matter in the TNG Universe. It was a disappointment after TNG that things just kept getting smaller and smaller in the other series (with the exception of DS9 in which we were big... but stationary... then dinky and able to go places).



I like this idea Alot I'd like to see some kinda shore leave to do what we wish away from starfleet to be able to have a non-starfleet ship an be able to take over another ship i love doing that stuff ( NPC only of course ) but to take over another ship an sale it or keep it as my own ( is one of the HUGEST reason i want to play ) that an i like star trek or even to be able to BUY the plans for another faction ship would be great ( taking it by force would be better ) but a to be romlane an fly a starfleet ship hell ya you could even do it where if that faction finds out there gunning for you or you take it from the people that took it in the first place to return the ship the the faction that owns it an get some mass cash from it or the right to fly that class of ship

To be able to have my own ship outside of starfleet would allow me to fly to place that starfleet ships can't / couldn't go with out war or battle

Like me the first thing i plan on doing with a non-starfleet ship would be to set course for the dalta quant. i'd like to be able to go an lol meet the borg queen lol an a few other races that are only there or take an pick a place as far out as i can go an go there just for the hell of it

Star trek wasn't about JUST starfleet or the borg ect.. it was also able the everyday people an there lives so to have some kinda shore leave would be great an to have to plan for a retirement ( if you ever wanted to leave starfleet but still play ) would be great to able to go to a starbase an not have to report in have some kinda civilian playable toon where you can deside to play by the rules or not where your not bound by the laws of starfleet an can do what ever you wish Hell ya take over ships,smuggle guns / info,to follow a borg ship for days on end,to be able to become a borg with out it staring a war with starfleet,to be able to beam down to a planet an steal some tech. an see if you can get away to do whatever you wanted as long as you don't get caught but if you do get caught your game is over for that toon would you risk it i no i would. I think that when it comes right down to it there is going to come a point were we'll get tired of playing by starfleets rules an just want to play an explore space with out being ordered to this area or were we MUST go to a call for help at some point i'm not going to want to play a starfleet capnt. or even be in star fleet a time were i can still play an have fun an just flat out relax an enjoy the game

the biggest thing i'd like to see is a PLAYABLE BORG i'm all about knowledge an learning so to me a borg / exborg would be the mother load of knowledge to have to really LEARN or at least feel i am learning alot of what the borg know idk how this would be done maybe you find your self on a planet an not part of the borg Collective anymore ( if your ever turned into 1 ) to be able to see better to have the knowledge of the borg an a few of there upgrades would be great

I'd also like to see a story that gose on an on another words if i get caught by the borg i don't want to wake up in sick bay like it was all a bad dream i hate that or if i run outta anit-matter in deep space in a black zone a planet magicly shows up on my long range. so many games do that an i hate it like in WoW you die an run back thats just stupide to me if i die by god i should have to be dead.... for at least a min. if i get hit by a sword i should bleed so.. to me with STO if you get taken by the borg then i should have to see or play the borg not magicly show up in sick bay let the story play out no matter what happens code in 50 ways the story could / can go

Heres my idea for a playable borg :
your flying along an a borg cude shows up you end up being assimilated you HAVE to watch for 5 min or less what your toon is doing out of your control / or with your control either 1 the ship your on is attacked an is badly damaged an starts to crash on some planet you wake to find that only a few are still alive an no longger part of the collective as your memorys starts to return you get more an more control of your toon after you have totaly control of your toon you find that your on some planet in the far reaches of space far from home ( you still have all of your borg inplants ) now you must deside do you

A: start your own collective ( with a max set # of real players / NPCS exp. if your part of a guild you can only turn your other guild members into Playable borg if your not in a guild then you have to go to the nearest borg area an find others that will join or that you can join get a ship an invade your first Npc base / ship )

B: find a doctor to remove the inplants an a ship to try an return home ( the amount of inplant removed would depend on the doctors skill lvl )

C: rejoin the collective (as a playable borg that must only do as your told )

D: find a way to make the borg PAY FOR ALL THAT they have done

See all that could an can be done outside of starfleet the above idea would require you not to be in starfleet for a time.
The Npcs that assimilated would follow the same code as the Npcs of the borg with a max # of drones that you can have i think this would be base on the # in your guild say like for ever 10 real players you could have 1 Npc drone or if not in a guild an far from home say it would take at least 2 real players to have 1 drone
Playable borg can be done with out messing the WHOLE game up i think that a playable ex-borg would be easyer to do but still i hope to see some kinda playable borg :D

[CherryTerri]

can anyone tell me when their hope to launch the game plz

No one knows. I'm sure there will be a humongus post on the main page.

[Rab2483]

hey awen, just wondering about the storys leading up to 2409, when is 2385 coming because i'm looking forward to it. I just cant wait for the game to come out and when does it come out.

[Scars]

No one really knows when the game may or may not come out :confused: i would think in the next 3 or 4 years if were lucky i hope sonner but it's already been about 4 or 5 years from the planning stage

[Delta4Elite2]

Will someone please tell me what console(s) the game will be available on. I have a pc but both of them are tooo slow fot games and I already know it will be out on X box but will it be out on PS3? Please can we not start arguments about X box being better then PS3 or viceversa. I have a PS3 only and i'm tired of being lashed out on because of it, heck im writing this on my PS3.

[CherryTerri]

Will someone please tell me what console(s) the game will be available on. I have a pc but both of them are tooo slow fot games and I already know it will be out on X box but will it be out on PS3? Please can we not start arguments about X box being better then PS3 or viceversa. I have a PS3 only and i'm tired of being lashed out on because of it, heck im writing this on my PS3.

Okay guys, seriously .. use SEARCH.

There are many threads and comments from people ...

It is said it will be on PC, 360, and PS3 from what I know. And this for comments on the last Ask Cryptic. Keep it on topic please.

[Delta4Elite2]

Okay guys, seriously .. use SEARCH.

There are many threads and comments from people ...

It is said it will be on PC, 360, and PS3 from what I know. And this for comments on the last Ask Cryptic. Keep it on topic please.

THANKS MAN and ya I've asked around but no one ever said anything BUT THANKS A BUNCH:D

[nhamlett]

Guys, stay on topic. Character customization. :)

[Angelphoenix12]

can we make really small character/bridge crew or very large?, also will there be japanese catgirl ears?

[SenshiBat]

Interesting Scars was it The Borg... That would be very visual but would we be an outlaw faction like Marquis if we tried to be Borg?

I would see the 7 of 9 look of Partial Cosmetics with practical uses..
Of Augmented Servo Arm or Exo Suits for Engineering cargo transport or limited Combat Suit use?

The beauty of form over function can be demanding. I would be open to Character Customization for cybernetic extensions if the DEV could integrate it to less the prejudice it could cause.

Perhaps we could customize to be BorgEsque in a Special Borg Research Task Force?

So we could retain the controlling factor of our original Species without becoming Ghost in a Shell?

[Kenderoth]

Will Empok Nor or anything relating to the Pah-Wraiths be in the game?

[Arocks]

Do you know when star trek online is coming out?

[AraYm]

Do you know when star trek online is coming out?

When it's done ^^